Nail pulling attachment for hammers



J 1954 M. B. BORNUS NAIL PULLING ATTACHMENT FOR HAMMERS Filed April 21, 1952 Me/ford B. Bomus INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 12, 1954 OFFICE"- NAIL PULLING ATTQCSHMENT FOR HAMM Melford B. Bornus, Montevideo, Minn. Application April 21, 1952, Serial No. 283,348 2 Claims. (01. 254-26) The present invention relates to a hammer attachment for use on the head of a conventionaltype carpenters hammer, said attachment being characterized by novel and improved means to expedite pulling nails which are too long for extraction by way of the usual claw means.

Hammer attachments in the aforementioned category are not broadly new and they are com-- monly referred to as leverage increasing devices, fulcruming and cradling attachments and so on and so forth. Such being the situation, it will be evident, therefore, that the instant invention appertains to a similarly constructed and performing attachment in which the specific parts are new and wherein the over-all combination characterized essentially by said parts is novel.

Keeping in mind the stated limitations, the invention has to do with a structurally distinct bridle which is intimately harnessed or saddled on the hammer head and complemental means in which the bridle is cradled.

Treated from another point of View, the invention has to do with a substantially U-shaped yoke which is adapted to rest against the work surface, the same being pivotally mounted on the aforementioned bridle in order to provide the cradling function necessary in pulling extra long nails.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a carpenters hammer with the improved hammer cradling attachment, showing the manner in which the latter is constructed and applied.

Figure 2 is a view observing the reverse side of the hammer, with a portion broken away and shown in section. v

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the manner in which the attachment comes into use for withdrawing or pulling a long nail.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view, taken on the section line 4-4 of Figure 5.

Figure 5 is a top plan view.

Figure 6 is enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of the line 6-6 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring first to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the hammer handle is denoted by the numeral 8 the same carrying a conventional head I0 having a poll l2, claw means l4 and socket member l6 into which the handleis fitted in the usual manner.

The attachment for the hammer head is characterized by two parts or units. One is conveniently designated as a bridle and this is denoted by the numeral l8 and the other one is designated as a folding and cradling yoke 20. The materials used should be strong sheet metal which are not too heavy for the required overall balance or weight of the hammer. The bridle, which takes the form of an endless fiat metal band or frame rectangular in form and encircles and is thus harnessed in close fitting diagonal relationship on the socket portion of the head. One transverse end portion 22 abuts the left hand end of the socket portion of the head where it is provided with aperture means 24 accommodating the fastening screw 26 which screws into the handle. The opposite transverse end member is oblique-angled as at 28 and it joins the substantially spaced parallel side'members 30 and 32. The member 38 is slightly narrower than the member 32 as shown respectively in Figures 1 and 2. H 9

The first stated end portion 22 is provided with a deflected flange 34 which conforms to and engages a coacting offset portion of the hammer head to assist in maintaining the unit I8 securely in place.

The yoke is U-shaped and comprises a pair of spaced parallel arms or limbs 36 hingedly connected at their free ends as at 38 to the bridle. The bight portion of the yoke is denoted at 40 and it has a clearance notch 42 which conformably rests on the hammer handle when the yoke is folded to its out-of-the-way position as shown in Figure 1. One of the limbs 36 as best shown in Figure 6 has an indentation forming a keeper pocket 43 for an extruded detent 44. If desired arm 36 may also be provided with a fluted bend 46 which serves to pilot the detent 44 into the keeper seat 43 in an obvious manner. Thus, the detent and keeper seat means serve to maintain the yoke in a folded out-of-the-way position when not in use whereby the presence of the attachment on the handle does not interfere with the normal or regular use of the hammer.

Whenever it is desired to bring the yoke into play is is swung from the folded position shown in Figures 1 and 2 over the claw means and then is allowed to project angularly from the head in the manner shown in Figure 3. By resting the bight portion of the yoke against the work surface 48 it is possible, in an obvious and convenient manner, to engage the claw means with an extra long nail 50 for purposes of withdrawing the latter in an obvious manner. It follows that the yoke at this time provides a sort of pivoting cradle for the hammer head.

A careful consideration of the foregoing decentrally arranged socket member and-'a handle having one end telescopically fitted and secured in the socket of said member, a one-piece substantially U-shaped cradling yoke, and an attaching bridle .firmly and snugly encircling and harnessed on :said socket member, said bridle comprising a one-piece substantially rectangular endless iramehavinga first transverse end memher Lhridging'thersocket at the iouterend of said socket member and formed with a laterally offset flange conformingly "and :retentively engaging a complemental portion of :said head, having a second transverse .end member at the opposite end :bridging :a complemental portion of said socket member, and having longitudinal side members embracing adjacent complemental side surfaces-of said socket member, said-first transverse .end member having an opening in alignment with the adjacent and of said handle, a

fastener passing through said opening and seeuredin the cooperating :endportion 'ofsaid handle, the arms :of said cradling 'yoke straddling :said longitudinal side members and being pivntally connected (thereto.

2. A nail pulling attachment for the head of a conventional type carpenters hammer comprising a bridle adapted to completely encircle the usual centrally disposed socket member of the head of said hammer, said bridle being in the form of a one-piece substantially rectangular endless band forming a frame, the latter having transverse end members inter-connected by side members, one end member being adapted to firmly abut an end of the hammer handle and hav- 'ing a hole therein to accommodate a headed fastenerwhich is adapted to be passed through the hole and secured in the cooperating end portionof the hammer handle, the opposite transverse end member being oblique-angled so that saidtrame capable of completely encircling said socket member and also, so that when the frame is in its applied position, it takes a position diagonal to the longitudinal axis of the socketportion of said socket member, a U-shaped yoke spaced parallel arm portionsstradthing and hingedly connected with intermediate portions of said side members, and coacting means between :at least one of said side members and the adjacent .yoke arm for temporarily and releasably retaining saidyoke in an out-of-the way position-when the yoke is not in use.

' MELFORD B. BORNUS.

References Cited in the file of this ,patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name "Date 460,897 Stout Oct. 6, 1891 1,026,915 Hudson .May '21, 1912 1,386,780 Hardy Aug. 9, 1921 1,531,014 Maclure Mar. 24, 1925 1,580,913 McLain Apr. 13, "1926 2,539,860 Ralston Jan. 30, 1951 m "m" l 

